1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet material feeding device suitable for use in an image recording apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and more particularly to a sheet material feeding device for converging two rows of sheet materials into a single row of sheet materials to thereby enhance the speed of sheet conveyance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For example, sheet material feeding and processing means is known which is provided with at least two image recording mechanism portions and in which sheet materials processed independently of one another or in connection with one another in the respective mechanism portions are piled at a predetermined position individually or correlatively in a desired order.
By reference to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings which illustrates a copying machine provided with two image recording mechanism portions using the electrostatic photographic process, the processing of sheet materials in such type of image recording apparatus will hereinafter be described briefly.
In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1 and 2 designate image forming portions including photosensitive drums D1 and D2, respectively, and it is to be understood that transfer paper sheets successively supplied from transfer paper supply sources F1 and F2 are fed along paths a, b, c, . . . , k, 1 in a conventional manner, as will hereinafter be described, and receive the images in the image forming portions and are discharged into stackers S1 and S2.
In such a copying machine, it is possible to accomplish copying at a speed double that of copying machines individually having individual image forming portions 1 and 2, by the use of the two paths designated by the reference characters a, b, c, d, f, g and h, i, j, k, l, g in FIG. 1 which indicate the directions of movement of the transfer materials.
That is, the transfer paper sheets supplied from the supply source F1 are moved generally along a, b, c, d and copying thereon is effected by the image forming portion 1, and finished copies are discharged into the stacker S2 via the path f, g by a discharge control portion 3 for sheet materials such as transfer paper sheets, and with a suitable timing with respect to the above-described copying process, transfer paper sheets are supplied from the supply source F2 and are moved along the path h, i, j, k and copying thereon is effected by the image forming portion 2, and finished copies are discharged into the stacker S2 via the path 1, g by the discharge control portion 3 and are superposed on the transfer paper sheets supplied from the supply source F1.
What has been described above shows the means (double speed mode) for operating two copying machines of relatively low speed in a mutually associated manner and accomplishing copying substantially at a speed double that of each copying machine, and of course, such copying machine is not restricted to such an operation mode but may also be operated in other modes.
That is, the copying machine can be operated in a manner (independent mode) in which the image forming portions 1 and 2 are operated independently of each other or only one of them is operated and the transfer paper sheets supplied from the supply source F1 are superposed one upon another in the stacker S1 through the path a, b, c, the image forming portion 1 (the path c, d) and the path e, while the transfer paper sheets supplied from the supply source F2 are superposed one upon another in the stacker S2 via the image forming portion 2 (the path h, i) and the path j, k, l, g.
Also, the transfer paper sheets supplied from the supply source F2 may be discharged into one of the stackers S1 and S2 through the image forming portion 2 (the path h, i), the image forming portion 1 (the path c, d) and the path e or the path f, g, whereby there can be obtained a combination of images or two-color copies (multiplex mode).
Further, the transfer paper sheets supplied from the supply source F2 may be brought to the path j of the inverting portion 4 via the image forming portion 2 (the path h, i) and once stopped and then discharged from the inverting portion 4 into the stacker S1 or S2 via the image forming portion 1 (the path c, d) and the path e or the path f, g, whereby images can be formed on both sides of the transfer paper sheets (both-side mode).
As described above, the copying by each mode as described above can be accomplished by using two image forming portions, and it will be readily understood that as required, the supply sources F1, F2, the inverting portion 4, the discharge control portion 3, the stackers S1, S2, etc. may be made discrete from one another or may be suitably added or removed.